This invention is related to apparatus for turning over a workpiece, such as a metal stamping, along a twisting path of motion, and more particularly to such an apparatus comprising a workpiece support arm having one end connected to a turnover shaft and its other end carrying workpiece supporting device, such as a vacuum pickup means, in such a manner that as the turnover shaft is being rotated, the vacuum pickup means is both swung with the turnover shaft and rotated with respect to the arm.
There are many industrial applications where a workpiece is turned over between a pair of work stations. In my aforementioned application, I disclosed an apparatus employing a gear box having a pair of sprockets mounted in such a way as to rotate the workpiece supporting arm about its longitudinal axis as the turnover shaft is being rotated. This provided special advantages in reorienting the workpiece with respect to the arm as the workpiece is being turned upside down.